Roses are Red, Violets are Blue...

but this new yarn is variegated
and it's all... BAMBOO!



Andrea's was the correct guess. In the time-honoured tradition of the Egyptian sphinx the rest of you would have all been eaten up, but Sfynxy's gone back to the drawing board with his riddle because apparently bamboo is currently being researched for its antibacterial properties - a characteristic that it shares with hemp.

As of today, consider the line of luxury bamboo yarn (Nathalie) launched. The bamboo has its own range of colourways (which will likely grow as the summer palette expands a bit more):

Carnival:



Jungle Fancy:



Princesse:



Reed Fairy:



Saudade*:


* "Saudade" in Portuguese is a tough word to translate, but it means something like "a nostalgia for a fleeting beauty as it passes". (If someone has a better translation, I would love to hear it!)

Swimming Pool:



Ursula:



Barley:



And a couple of old favourites:

Amy's Chocolate Cherry:



and Briar Rose:



Here's a little swatch of how the Briar Rose knit up.



I LOVE LOVE LOVE the feel of this yarn. As far as I'm concerned, it's THE ultimate luxury yarn of the summer. Much stronger and more durable than silk, the bamboo is spun to a most refined smoothness and an amazing luster that even the best camera couldn't capture -- and the feel of the fabric! In a word: divine.

I am so addicted to this yarn that as soon as the first batches were ready, I started a Kim Hargreaves camisole (Missy from Rowan 31) in Carnival. This is what I managed on the first day:



24 hours later, I was 25 rows to the end of the front piece!

Ah! There are so many joys to a knitted summer garment in bamboo, the softness, the strength, the sheen! This must be felt in person, but the best I can do for the moment is leave you with a close-up of the fabric. See it shimmer:



The product and price list on the List of Colourways page has been updated. And here's some basic info about the yarn:

Nathalie: 100% bamboo
145 yds/skein; approx. 1328 yds/lb. (that's about 83yds/oz.)
Gauge: 6 - 7 sts/in. on US 3 needles